How To Choose & Use Essential Oils For Aroma

How To Diffuse Essential Oils In A Vaporiser 

Essential Oils not only smell great
and have health benefits,they also
give a room an atmosphere.

There are many kinds of vaporisers. We are only mentioning the methods that we recommend for our fine quality essential oils. Our oils are premium grade, pure 100% certified organic oils. They must be used sparingly as they are extremely potent and concentrated. A little goes a long way.

Electric or Candle

Fill the diffuser with water and turn on the power or light the candle. Let the water warm for a few minutes, then add 3-4 drops of the required oil. It should last 3-4 hours.

Bowl of Water

If a diffuser is not handy. You can add 3-4 drops of oil to a wide brimmed small bowl of water. It will have the same diffusion effect except that it will diffuse for only 1-2 hours.

Choosing the right essential oil for aroma

Choosing For Emotions

Essential oils have neurological effects. The chemical compound of an essential oil will be absorbed through the capillaries in nose when inhaled and absorbed into the blood steam where it passes the blood brain barrier and changes the neurology of the brain. So, if you want to change your physiological or emotional state, you need to know what the dominant chemical compound of the essential oil. This will tell you the effect it will have you.

Choosing For Scent 

Choosing the right essential oil for aroma alone, will in many ways depend on if you like it. Whether you like it, will in part depend on how it makes you feel. Please see Choosing Essential Oils For Emotions above to find out more about this.

However, choosing how long an aroma will last and what you will smell when an essential oil is heated and infused into the air will require you to understand the rate of evaporation of the oil a.k.a base notes.

Essential Oils with Top Notes : The oils in this category are those that evaporate the most quickly and the ones you experience first when an essential oil blend in diffused. The aromas of these notes are crisp and sharp. 

Mandarin	sweet, floral, orange-like
Geranium	floral, sweet
Lavender	floral, fresh, sweet, herbaceous
Ylang Ylang	floral, rich, sweet
Lemongrass	Fresh, lemon, sweet
Eucalyptus	citrus, fresh

Middle Notes : The oils in this category make up the 'heart' of what you smell.

Lemongrass	Fresh, lemon, sweet
Mandarin	Sweet, floral, orange-like
Lavender	floral, fresh, sweet, herbaceous

Base Notes :These oils have a very slow evaporation rate and extend the the amount of time the essential oil remains on the skin or in the air. Your nose will generally become aware of these aromas upon dry-down (in a vaporiser) or about 20 min after applied to the skin.

Frankincense	Woody, sweet

So, essential oils that are in the top note category will diffuse throughout a room quickly. You will be able to smell in throughout the room almost as soon as the water in the vaporiser heats. Essential oils in the middle note category last the longest in a vaporiser. So, Lavender and Lemongrass will probably last in the diffuser for 3-4 hours or as long as the water in the vaporiser is still heating. Frankincense which have a strong base note, may not be noticed too quickly upon heating, but it will continue to diffuse throughout the room long after the water in the vaporiser has dried up.

Between, an essential oil's heath effects and its aroma, there is a perfect essential oil for everyone. For everyday use, we recommend Lemongrass (it lasts long while being uplifting) and Lavender (it lasts long while being relaxing).  

Click on the essential oil of your choice to buy premium 100% pure essential oils

Are parabens in skincare really so bad?

What’s The Big Deal About Parabens? 

Parabens are only necessary due
to the commercial nature of skin
today. However, if you use fresh
organic skin care, they may not
be necessary.

By Dianne Little

I set up an organic skin care company not too long ago. I started an organic range because all the rage was about going natural and how preservatives like parabens and sulphates are bad for your health and/or skin. Would you believe I never stopped to question this ‘wisdom’? Nope! Not once.

I started reading up about it when I needed ammo in my marketing campaigns as to why exactly parabens are harmful. Like everything else on the internet – you have the proponents for and against parabens. All equally gung ho. Sigh! Isn’t anything straightforward anymore?

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of the situation, let me first explain what paraben’s are. Simply put they are an umbrella term for a range of chemicals that function as preservatives. They either prevent the growth of bacteria or kill existing bacteria. More often than not, a cream, serum or gel will contain parabens.

Preservatives are necessary. In fact, they can be your friends. If a skin care product has moisture in it, it will need a preservative. If it didn’t, your toiletries would go bad and your creams would actually cause skin irritation.

Having said that, preservatives are only used in the extent they are now because of international trade, population boom and the need to increase per unit profit. To help you understand the extent to which they are used – 99% of everything you buy from a pharmacy, cosmetic counter, supermarket or boutique toiletry stores will have it. They will be found in shampoos, toothpastes, soaps, moisturisers and almost everything else.

All three reasons filter down to one single factor – preserving shelf life. Because we are now involved in global trade, we are used to using items from countries all over the world. So, from the time it leaves the factory to the time it ends up on your supermarket shelf, it may have taken as long as 5-6 months.

Similarly, an increasing demand for goods due to the urban explosion means that consumers now demand more and consume more of what they demand. To manufacture goods in this kind of volume, synthetic ingredients are required, so is machinery and the production process also gets complicated. Preservatives are needed as this juncture to prevent contamination during the manufacturing stage.

Manufacturing processes must be automated to keep up with this demand and factories are not cheap to build. But the bulk of the cost of most items, especially non-staples, is marketing, advertising and packaging.

END OF Part 1 (Apologies for dividing this up into parts; this is a lengthy topic)

Looking for an organic, natural skin care alternative? 

Try essential oils for skin. The right essential oil can solve almost any skin problem. 

Click here to find out how essential oils can work for your skin. 

Why Scenting Porcelain & Not Scenting Clay Is The Way To Go - Part 2

PART 2 - SCENTING PORCELAIN IS BETTER THAN SCENTING CLAY

This is a true-to-life porcelain leaf that
serves as a diffuser on its own,
or you can place a candle on it and
use it as a candle holder/essential oil diffuser.
Click on the picture to send
me an enquiry on how I can
make one for you.

Part 1 (View Part One Here) deals with all the practical reasons of why porcelain is better than clay when it comes to diffusing essential oil aroma molecules into the air. Part 2 deals with art and aesthetics.

1. Porcelain is a stickier kind of clay. As a result, it can hand-moulded into more intricate shapes. Designs may contain thinner and more accurate true-to-life details which may otherwise be lost when utilising common clay. As a result, scenting porcelain pieces can often be mistaken as decoration pieces (which they are as well). We call this functional art.

2. Furthermore, porcelain is a tougher material than clay. This is because the molecules of the material sit closer together, making them a harder material and also the air pockets within the porcelain are smaller making less susceptible to breakage.

(Ever noticed when a clay piece breaks, it breaks completely, while porcelain tends to chip instead of break when it encounters a knock?)

3. Good quality porcelain is bright white. It's not bleached. It is dug up from the earth exactly the colour you see it. It's a brilliant colour! Working with a raw material which has a fantastic natural colour is vital when making diffusers. This is because diffusers are not glazed. They cannot be glazed because they need to be porous enough to absorb and diffuse the essential oils.

Furthermore, to maintain the integrity of the essential oils, the scenting clay or porcelain should not have any chemical additives or dyes. This means that with a good quality diffuser, the raw material is all you see - and porcelain has a much more luxurious finishing than clay.

4. Clay diffusers will also dysfunctionally stain after constant use; even if you use high quality essential oils. This is because clay is too porous. Some essential oils will be trapped deep within the clay and will never be released. This means that :

• Your diffusers will lose its fine aesthetic look after some time.
• Once you pick a scent, you must continue using the same scent on the clay as the retained essential oils will distort the scent and efficacy of any new essential oil you add to it.

Scenting porcelain will never stain if you use genuine essential oils (not fragrance oils). It will throughly release any aroma molecules added to it after 3 - 7 days (depending of aeration on where it is placed). This means that you can use multiple scents on it as the years go by.

5. Finally - it's exclusive. Let's face it, clay has a cheap more rustic finishing. It's not really meant to last and neither can it be considered a family heirloom. Porcelain diffusers are functionally and aesthetically a display art piece which can last a life time. They can be elaborate pieces which will serve to stimulate your visual as well as olfactory systems. 

Please send email enquiries to dianne@thelittleessentials.com

The orchid (large) design is one of our best-sellers. If you are
sending it as a gift, we can accompany it with essential oils with
customised message labels.

Everything You Need To Know About Tea Tree Oil

www.thelittleessentials.com

My Guide To Using Essential Oils : The lazy version

I'm Dianne and I discovered the power of essential oils on skin while I was pregnant. Like a lot of mums, I was applying Rosehip furiously on my tummy (and other enlarged body parts) to prevent stretch marks. It worked! Then I thought, what else can essential oils do for my skin. I researched more and discovered that with the right know-how you really didn't need to use any big-brand name skin care to achieve excellent skin. Honestly, its not hard. True, there are many many many essential oils. But you don't need to know about them all. Just a handful is really all you'll need to tackle the more common skin care challenges. I've chosen ROSEHIP, TEA TREE, EUCALYPTUS and ARGAN. These 4 are really the basics in skin care in my opinion. 

You can visit my website at www.thelittleessentials.com if you want to discover more about the science on why these oils work and how you can use them.

But in the meantime, I wanted to share with you how I personally use essential oils in my day. Hopefully it will give you some ideas on how to use it in yours.

Diffuser

In my car : I reuse Glade car fresheners (the kind that comes in a bottle and clips onto your air-con vent. I wash out the wick and bottle and add lemongrass. Its a fresh and uplifting scent. 0.5 pumps of lemongrass into a diffuser. It makes my bathroom smell like a spa.

Skin 

Day : Eucalyptus spray under my arms. It kills odour causing bacteria which deodorants do not do. However, I use an antiperspirant after it dries to reduce sweat as essential oils do not help with this.

Night : Replace moisturiser with Rosehip or Argan

Day: Use a lemongrass spray on my legs. I'm prone to insect bites. Eucalyptus works too but doesn't smell as great.

Hair 

Agan on my tips to prevents fly-away hairs and repair split ends.

I use a tea tree hair spray to give my hair a nice scent. 

In the Pool : I rub Rosehip onto my hair to seal the shaft. It prevents chlorine from entering into it and drying it out. Rosehip is a dry oil so it won't dissipate into the pool

Face 

Day - Tea tree spray as a face toner. I suffer from acne and tea tree is toxic to bacteria found in acne. 

Night - I use 1 pump of Argan under my eyes, my face and neck. I do not own night cream. Although I'm prone to acne. Argan oil has actually reduced my acne.   

What Exactly Makes Essential Oils Effective? : The lay-man's version

MANY BIG-BRAND NAME SKINCARE PRODUCTS USE SYNTHETIC VERSIONS OF ACTIVE INGREDIENTS FOUND IN ESSENTIAL OILS.

CUT OUT THE MIDDLE-MAN. GO STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE. GO NATURAL. BE AUTHENTIC. USE ESSENTIALS OILS FOR SKINCARE.

Just be cautious choosing essential oils which are not organic. They may have been sprayed with chemical pesticides which will then end up being in the oils.

The whole principle behind the efficacy of essential oils on skin is the fact that essential unsaturated fatty acids (EUFA) a.k.a Vitamin F, are important to the human body. They are vital for repairing cell membranes. However, they cannot be synthesised by the body. They need to be ingested or topically applied. Essential oils are teeming with these unsaturated fatty acids. What makes different essential oils relevant for different skin ailments is their concentration of which fatty acids they have.

For example, the primary components of ylang-ylang oil, linalool and Germacrene D, are toxic to Propionibacterium bacteria. This bacteria is found in acne. So, applying ylang ylang to your skin is an excellent anti-acne medication. Geranium oil on the other hand is teeming with geraniol. Geranoil assists in building collagen fibres (the protein that is the main building block of bone, cartilage, tendon, and other connective tissues) in the skin. This means that it creates a regenerative action in these parts of the body, especially the skin, making it excellent for cellulite reduction and saggy skin.

To understand this more, view the University of Minnesota’s website at : (http://takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/aromatherapy/how-do-essential-oils-work)

Ylang ylang flowers

What Makes Essential Oils Perfect for Skincare?

Essential oils have extremely small molecules. There are approximately 40 million trillion molecules in one drop of essential oil. that's about 40,000 molecules for each cell in the average human body.

They are so small, that they are able to penetrate the epidermis and into the dermal layers of the skin. For this reason, they behave more like a serum than a cream. They not only trap moisture on the outer  layers of the skin but because they able to successfully penetrate into the dermal layers, they are able to improve the the deeper layers of your skin for long lasting effects.

Most skin care on
 the market use
synthetic versions of
the active ingredients
naturally occurring
 in essentials oils.

Furthermore, the chemical structure of plant sterols and human sterols is strikingly similar. Sterols are primary component of the outermost layer of human skin and functions like an optimal barrier.

Therefore sterols present in essential oils work in great harmony with human skin. They perform a multitude of functions like keeping structural integrity of cell membrane, reducing inflammation, improving skin metabolism process and moisture retention. 

Buy premium essential oils for skin here

Why Are 'Real', Premium Grade Essential Oils So Expensive?

WARNING! USING LOW GRADE OR SYNTHETIC OILS ON YOUR SKIN CAN BE HARMFUL. USE ONLY CERTIFIED ORGANIC, PREMIUM GRADE OILS.

CLICK HERE TO  FIND OUT WHICH ESSENTIAL OILS ARE RIGHT FOR YOUR SKIN.

NATURAL vs SYNTHETIC

Essential Oils = Natural

Fragrance Oils = Synthetic

Synthetic oils mimic the aroma of essential oils. Although cheaper they have absolutely no therapeutic benefit on the skin. This is because fragrance oils are synthetic versions with different structures and the body does not absorb them like natural molecules. In fact, synthetic oils can be harmful when applied to the skin causing irritation and rash.

Essential oil prices can fluctuate greatly because of crop conditions. For this reason some are reasonably priced while others seem excessive. Fragrance oils are cheaper and can be purchased in unlimited quantities because they do not depend on a crop harvest. A few essential oils are less expensive than their synthetically produced counterparts such as lemon, orange, pine and some lavender but they are also more volatile.

As its name suggest, fragrance oils only smell good. They will offer absolutely no therapeutic benefit.

So how can you tell if you’ve got the real thing?

• Some people are genetically able to smell the difference.
• If you are not one of these people – do the oil drop test. A drop of natural essential oil on paper will evaporate without leaving an oily residue.

GRADES of ESSENTIAL OILS

There are 4 Grades of Essential Oils

Grade A essential oils are pure and therapeutic quality. They are usually made from organically grown plants distilled at the proper temperatures using steam distillation

Environmental factors (where the plant is grown, soil type, fertilizer (organic vs. chemical), altitude, etc.) and physical factors (how and when the plant is harvested, distilled and bottled) also determine if an essential oil is of therapeutic quality.

• Grade B essential oils are food grade. They may contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers, chemical/synthetic extenders, or carrier oils.

• Grade C oils are perfume grade and may contain the same type of adulterating chemicals as food grade oils.

• Floral Water is a byproduct of the distillation process. It can be very high quality if it comes from a Grade A distillation process. Accordingly, a very low quality if it comes from poor quality raw materials and/or poor distillation processes. It is usually found in skin and hair products. This grade has no therapeutic qualities.

Some Evidence The Quality Of Essential Oils Makes A Difference

Not all essential oils are the same. A randomized, double-blind trial of essential oils from two different species of lavender, topically applied on post-cardiotomy patients revealed that the quality of the oil is an important factor in determining the efficacy of its use.

28 patients were randomly selected to receive aromatherapy massage with one of the two essential oils on two consecutive days, and their emotional and behavioral stress levels were evaluated both before and after the treatment.

The results revealed that the therapeutic effects of the two lavenders were clearly different; one was almost twice as effective as the other, thereby disproving the hypothesis that aromatherapy, using topical application of essential oils, is effective purely because of touch, massage or placebo.

[Source: Buckle J. Nurs Times (ENGLAND) May 19-25 1993, 89 (20) p32-5]

Why is it so Costly to Produce Therapeutic Grade Oil?

You need hundreds of pounds of material to make a pound of therapeutic grade oil. For instance it takes 30 to 60 roses to make one drop of pure therapeutic grade Rose oil.

It takes far less material to make synthetic or perfume grade oil. Therefore producing oils correctly and for therapeutic benefits is extremely time consuming and costly. The cost of the plants alone can be enough to discourage a company from producing them. The therapeutic grade essential oil is extremely concentrated and although the cost of the oil is more, we need far less and we can expect superior results.

Enfleurage is the most expensive extraction method and is the only one that won’t alter the chemical makeup (therefore, fragrance) of some botanicals such as lilac. As a result, commercial production of some essential oils is impractical.

Distillation and cold pressing methods yield liquid essential oils. The results of solvent extraction and enfleurage are resins and concretes--solids and semi-solids. Essential oils will dissolve in alcohol or oil and are volatile; evaporation dissipates their scents quickly (patchouli is one exception). A drop of pure, liquid essential oil on paper will disappear without leaving an oil spot when it is dry. You can use this easy test if you doubt the genuineness of an essential oil.

HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS ON THE SKIN

I'm personally a fan of utilising essential oils not just for aromatherapy but for skin care as well. I wanted to share with you some easy methods on how I use them. Essential oils, the right ones anyway are truly multi-functional serums. 

In future posts, I will go though how I use individual essential oils and what they're good for. In the meantime, I hope you will try these methods out with the essential oils you are already using.

Warning - Not all essential oils are appropriate for use in all of the following methods.  Click HERE to find out where Tea Tree, Rosehip, Argan, Lemongrass and Eucalyptus can be used safety.

In Face Cream

We like to keep it simple - Place the amount of face cream you would normally use in the palm of your clean hand. Add 1/2 pump or 1/4 pump (if your skin is sensitive) to your face cream. Rub your hands together, throughly mixing the essential oil to your face cream. Do not rub in, but pat formula gently onto face. Do this quickly to prevent the essential oil from evaporating.

In Body Moisturiser

Method 1:

Add 1/2 pump to oil-based body moisturiser (the amount you would use on your whole body) or 1 pump to water-based body moisturiser into a small mixing bowl and stir well. Smother generously onto the body. 

Water based body moisturisers are viscous and thin in texture. Oil based moisturisers are usually sold in tubs and are thick and creamy. Oil-based moisturisers make a better base when mixed with essential oils. So, less is required.

Method 2:

This method is appropriate for target treatment. For example, if you were treating cellulite on just your upper thigh : use 1/4 pump of lemongrass oil to the amount of moisturiser you would use on just your thighs. Mix in the palms of your hands by rubbing it together and applying quickly onto target area.

In a Hot Bath

Add 3-4 pumps into a fully drawn warm or hot bath with bath salts. The bath salts will break up the oils. If you are having a luxurious milk bath, bath salts are not necessary. The milk will break up the oils.

Alternatively, if you don't enjoy using bath salts, you can pre-mix the essential oils with 1/2 a glass of milk. This will also break-up the essential oils. Pour the milk-oil mixture into the bath.

Remember - Do not add the essential oils while the bath is being drawn as the essential oils will evaporate. Only add the oils just before you step into the bath.

As A Warm Compress

Add 1 pump of essential oil to a small bowl of warm water. Soak your hand towel into it and place onto forehead or infected cut.

Directly Onto Skin

Not all essential oils can be used directly onto skin as they can cause hypersensitivity. Carrier oils like Argan, Rosehip and Sweet Almond Oil are safe to use pure, directly onto skin or hair.

Lavender is the only essential oil that many essential oil encyclopaedias mention as safe to use directly onto skin. 

Rarely would we suggest using even small amounts dabbed directly onto skin. The exception would be Tea Tree onto acne and Lemongrass onto a cold-sore. Simply use a very small amount onto the tip of a cotton bud and dab (not rub) onto a stubborn pimple or cold-sore. It will kill the bacteria without drying out the surrounding skin like pharmacy bought pimple creams. Lemongrass oil is safe if accidentally ingested in small amounts. However, you need to be extra careful with Eucalyptus oil. It has been known to be toxic when ingested. This is one of the reasons we do not recommend its use on the face. Tea-tree is a better alternative.

In A Spritz Bottle

Add 2 pumps to 500ml of water in a spritz/spray bottle. Shake well before use. Use to scent your body or hair. Use Eucalyptus which is high in anti-bacterial qualities as a body spray to keep pimples, insects and other infections at bay.

Massage

There are so many recipes for great massage oils. But we try and keep it simple. Simply add 1/2 pump of essential oil (tea tree, lmongrass, eucalyptus) to 3 pumps of carrier oil (rosehip, argan). About the house - olive oil can also be used as a carrier base. Please do not use baby oil as a base. It will defeat the purpose of using our certified organic, chemical free oils.

Baby oils are mineral oils (petroleum products) usually containing aloe vera extract, Vit E, acetate and fragrance. Mineral oils clog pores causing pimples, and contain chemicals which may be harmful to your skin.